JAKARTA, Indonesia — Three former Google executives appeared virtually in an Indonesian corruption court Monday, rejecting allegations that the tech giant participated in a fraudulent laptop procurement scheme that cost the government $125 million.
The case centers on Nadiem Anwar Makarim, 41, who co-founded Indonesia’s major ride-sharing service Gojek before serving as the nation’s education minister. Authorities arrested him in September following investigations into suspected corruption involving Chromebook laptop purchases.
Testifying through Zoom at Jakarta’s Corruption Court were Scott Beaumont, who led Google Asia Pacific from 2014 to 2019, Caesar Sengupta, who served as general manager and vice president between 2018 and 2021, and former executive William Florence.
The laptop acquisition was designed to advance the government’s initiative to digitize educational institutions across the country.
During his tenure as education minister from 2019 to 2024, Makarim allegedly pushed for Google’s Chromebook selection even after ministry researchers declined to endorse the devices, citing poor performance in areas with limited internet connectivity.
Prosecutors claim Makarim misused his position by directing the 2020-2021 national procurement process “entirely for personal business interests.” They allege he pressured Google to invest in PT Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa (PT AKAB), Gojek’s parent corporation.
The acquisition of over 1.2 million Chromebooks aimed to expand Google’s market control in Indonesia’s education system, according to lead prosecutor Muhammad Fadli Paramajeng. He connected the program to Google’s approximately $787 million investment in PT AKAB through its Asia Pacific division.
Prosecutors claim Makarim obtained roughly 809 billion rupiah ($48.2 million) through his involvement in the scheme.
Beaumont rejected these accusations during his testimony. “There was no connection at all between Google’s investment in GoTo and any of the conversations with the Ministry of Education,” he stated to the three-judge panel. Makarim’s Gojek company combined with Indonesia’s largest online retailer Tokopedia in 2021 to create the GoTo Group.
Sengupta similarly disputed the allegations against him.
Google has maintained that Chromebooks are built for classroom environments, including remote locations. The company emphasized that while the devices work best with cloud connectivity, they function offline without internet access. Google also clarified that it provides software licensing but doesn’t control Chromebook pricing.
The Harvard-educated Makarim established Gojek in 2009 and led the company until 2019, when its valuation exceeded $10 billion. He left to join former Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s administration.
Prosecutors argue his departure from PT AKAB and Gojek represented “strategic concealment” to hide conflicts of interest. They claim Makarim installed trusted allies as directors and “beneficial owners,” enabling him to secretly influence company operations.
The former minister could face life imprisonment if convicted.
Makarim has consistently maintained his innocence, stating he never personally benefited from Chromebook contracts or associated services.
His legal team contends he properly separated from PT AKAB when assuming office, experienced a wealth decrease of more than 50% during his ministerial term, and that procurement choices were handled by technical staff and officials rather than the minister directly.
A verdict may be delivered within the month. The case also involves charges against two former Education Ministry officials and a previous technology consultant, while another staff member remains a fugitive.
